Time called on Hucknall's Portland Arms pub as plan for flats given the go-ahead

The historic 19th century Annesley Road venue has been closed as a public house for more than two years and the first and second floors are already in use as apartments.

It had been hoped, in some quarters, that the Portland may still have some life in it as a pub.

When the whole building was put up for sale for £450,000, it was touted that the community may be able to purchase and re-open with the downstairs, cellar and rear yard designated as an ‘asset of community value’ by Ashfield District Council.

But that didn’t materialise and planners at the same authority have now rubberstamped, with conditional consent, the flats plan submitted by David Adams, the current owner and former landlord of the pub.

In a statement with the application, it was stated that the site is not viable as any other business.

The statement went on to say that there are several reasons for this such as ‘issues with punters’ and ‘new competition including several micro bars which have opened recently’.

It was last winter when the entire building was put up for sale.

Regulations under the ‘asset of community value’ classification dictated that residents or members of the community had six weeks to register an interest.

If they had, they would have had six months to produce their bid. But no-one came forward.

This then paved the way for the owner to pursue other options, with the one accepted being for a one-bed flat and two one-bed studio flats.

The Portland is the latest Hucknall pub to be converted.

The most recent was the Chequers on High Street, which has been changed to a house of multiple occupancy (HMO).

This appears to be a current trend in the town with the former Town Hall on Watnall Road also going down the same route under its owners.